


Fit  Bits

by ticktockclockwork



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Coping Mechanisms, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Gift Giving, It's seriously just a pile of fluff, M/M, anxiety mentions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-11
Updated: 2017-01-11
Packaged: 2018-09-16 18:57:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9285554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ticktockclockwork/pseuds/ticktockclockwork
Summary: When Jack is struggling to deal with a playoff knockout, Bitty gets him a gift he's not quite sure he'll like. At the very least, he gets to make a pun. That's gotta count for something right?Zimbits fluff. Mentions of Jack's anxiety.





	

It wasn't that Bitty didn't know what to get Jack for his birthday. They'd been boyfriends for nearly four years now and friends for even longer. Bitty had had plenty of birthdays and Chanukahs and anniversaries and whatever-you-had-a-bad-week-aries to get his boyfriend gifts and through them all he'd never had trouble. Sometimes he would make him a pie. Sometimes he would make him six. Sometimes he would ride him till he couldn't take it anymore and sometimes he'd buy him those ugly yellow trainers he loved so much.

But sometimes, just sometimes, Bitty had trouble. Not because he didn’t know what he was going to get him, no, he'd already bought the thing. It was more that this was the first time he really didn't know if Jack would like it. Sure he'd like it because Bitty gave it to him. Bits could probably put a rock in a box and Jack would appreciate the gesture. But Bitty wasn't sure Jack would _like_ it. Because it _implied things._

No, it's not actually what you're thinking.

The reason for the gift giving this time was because the Falconers had just been knocked out of the playoffs. They'd been doing alright this year, starting out slow but gaining some heat after the holidays. But then Tater had gotten injured and was benched for the season and Snowy was fighting a sprain in his shoulder that just didn't want to heal and one thing led to another and they were out.

And Jack was miserable. This wasn't the first time they'd gone for the cup and fallen short but Bitty had the sense that Jack was feeling the word 'retirement’ heavier in his bones than normal. Which was ridiculous of course. Jack was in perfect condition. He'd put on even more muscle once he joined the NHL and was even able to keep most of it in the off season which never failed to shock both Bits and the nutritionists given how many things Bitty baked. Jack had the A, had a cup under his belt and had been playing fantastic for quite a few years straight now. Barring any injury, he still had plenty of career ahead of him.

But this season had shook him something fierce and while Bitty could see him trying, he was struggling to really slough off the weight of that final loss.

So gifts were in order.

The superfluous stuff was easy. Bitty had taken some time off at work to be there with Jack (even though Jack insisted it wasn't necessary which was ridiculous). Bitty had doted and he'd loved him and he'd distracted him and it was easy. But Bitty held a box in his hands now and while it didn't seem like much, he still felt apprehensive.

“Sweetheart?” Bitty called as he knocked on their study door. Jack had turned one of his two guest rooms into it when Bitty was finishing up his senior year but now they mostly used to it store the Falconer's swag Jack always seemed to be coming home with. When Jack was really down, as he was now, he hid away in the room and rewatched tape.

“In here.” Jack grunted even though it was clear that was where he was.

Bitty hesitated, taking another deep breath, before heading in. The lights were off and the blinds closed to cut down on glare but Bitty suspected that it was more for the mood than the light interference. “Hey honey… can I talk to you for a bit?” He asked. Jack grunted again, but didn't really turn away from the screen, only canting his head to show he was listening. “Jack. Will you turn that off for me?” His voice was more serious this time and it made Jack listen.

When he had the other's attention, he moved to perch on the arm of one of the recliners, holding the box tight in his hands. “So. I know you have been having a hard time since y’all got… yanno… knocked out of the, um, the playoffs an’ all.” Jack sucked in a breathe to interrupt but Bitty held up his hand to stop it. “Hon, don't try and fight me on this, I know ya well enough to know when you're having troubles…” he could feel his accent get thicker and it made his cheeks flush. It always felt like he couldn't be taken seriously when he sounded like this but Jack stayed quiet and Bitty continued.

“There ain't nothin’... There isn't anything wrong with you struggling with this. No one expects you to just be… okay. You spent months fightin’ for this and suddenly it all just… stops. I get it. And I get it ain't easy.” He cleared his throat. “So I tried to find something… something that might help. When I can't be there to help.” Then he handed the box over.

Jack frowned as he took it, shaking it then pulling off the generic silver paper. When he peeled it away, he just looked confused. “A… Fitbit?” He asked with a snort.

Bitty's stomach churned but he'd expected this so he just took a breath and launched into his explanation. “I know you don't, um, really like fitness trackers. And we both know you do enough fitnessing that you don't really need to track it but I was thinkin’... Well I was thinking it could give you something to focus on.” He moved to crouch near Jack so he could take the box and gently turned it over. “See, so it tracks the activity you do and you can like, get badges and stuff? For how many miles you walk. Like if you walk like… five hundred miles, or something, you get an Italy badge? Because you walked the length of Italy?”

“Bittle, I think Italy is longer than-”

“That's-... That's not the point, I'm just sayin’. Maybe you could challenge yourself? And it vibrates to cheer you on and I know you like that sensation, it's like… a good sensation right? So it vibrates when you do well, like get ten thousand steps and, and it also vibrates when you get texts so maybe when I'm away I can send you texts and you can get a little vibrate and then read them on the screen? I don't know, I just liked the idea of like, sending you like little digital post it's? Anyways, that's not really, I got it for all that but-” he took a deep breath because he'd suddenly run out, looking down. Had he covered everything? Text alerts, fitness tracking, badges. There were other things too, connecting with friends, getting supportive emails, all that. But it wasn't the main reason Bitty had gotten it for him.

“Bitty?” Jack's voice was gentler, and Bitty realized he'd stopped mid sentence.

“Sorry, yeah.” Another deep breath. “I got this model specifically because it has a heart rate monitor.” He pointed out the bullet point on the back of the box. “I was reading that it's not _entirely_ accurate all the time but it's pretty good and I was thinking maybe it could help you when you're… when you're feeling overwhelmed. You said before, a few months ago, and it's what got me thinkin’ about all this, but you said sometimes you can't hold onto… onto your thoughts when you're having an anxiety attack? Like you try it then something else comes up and it slips through your fingers? And, well, I was thinking that maybe if you could _see_ your heart rate and like… focus on the numbers that maybe it could help you grab onto something real? Like it's right in front of you, it's right there on the screen so maybe that could help you… focus.” He finished the sentence lamely, not sure how else to describe his reasoning. And with Jack not saying anything he was getting a little worried that he'd said or done the wrong thing.

“There's, um, there's also a relaxation feature. You can turn it on and it coaches you through a breathing exercise. It tells you to, um, breathe in, then it buzzes, then you breathe out until it buzzes and you keep doing this for however long you set it for and I was thinking that it might help? Like how we count, but it's on your wrist and you can… you can watch your heart rate drop and stuff.”

Jack stayed silent even after Bitty stopped talking. He almost wished Jack would just write it off like he'd started doing before. It would be an easier read than this. They might have been dating for years now but when Jack closed off Jack _closed_ _off._

Defeated, Bitty stood back up and sighed. “And I guess maybe I thought the name was cute too.” He shrugged his shoulder, wrapping his arms around himself.

“The name?”

“Well… yeah… Fitbit? Bits? FitBitty? I thought you might appreciate the, ah, pun.” He huffed a laugh but it was humorless. “I'll take it back tomorrow, it was a stupid idea…”

But just as he was reaching for it, Jack snatched it away and held it to his chest. “No-! Ah, I mean… no, please, I w-want it…” He stammered,

“You do?”

“Yeah, yes. I do, really. It… it won't like... fix-”

“No! Of course not sweetheart but it's not meant to… to fix anything. It's just like a-”

“It's a mini you. That I can… can have with me.” Jack finished.

Bitty swallowed and waited, holding his breath in anticipation before letting it out in a relieved rush when Jack gave him a watery, though genuine, smile. It was the most beautiful thing Bitty had seen since the Falconers loss earlier that month.

“I love it, Bits.” He whispered then wrapped his arms around Bitty's waist and pulled him close to bury his face in Bitty's stomach.

Relief washed over the blond and he wrapped his arms around Jack's head to cradle it, leaning down to kiss his hair. “I'm so glad, baby. So glad. I just want to help you, even when I'm not here.”

“I know… merde. I'm so lucky to have you Bits. Thank you.”

When Bitty guided his face up for a kiss, he gladly returned it, just as he happily was led away from the office and the tape. He sat on the couch with Bitty and together they set the tracker up. When they had it comfortable on Jack's wrist, Bitty sent him a slew of text messages precisely to draw out the delighted laugh from the vibrations. He laughed with him, so in love and so happy and so so pleased that he could do this for the other.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Hello! It's me! I haven't posted anything in awhile. You can thank the holidays for that. But now I'm back with stupid fluff! 
> 
> I got one of the new FitBits for Christmas and I absolutely love it. I've struggled with motivating myself for years and this thing has a ton of features to help with that. But what I really appreciate is that the more I use it, the more I think jack could use one too! The one I have has a ton of features which take advantage of the heart rate monitor and they're all things I think might help Jack! Relaxation techniques, breathing exercises, visual representations of your anxiety, etc. It's helped me when I've been overwhelmed so I couldn't help but think it might help him too!
> 
> Anyways! I really hope y'all enjoyed this! I would love love love to hear anybody else's headcanons in the subject! Come chatter at me on Tumblr @ ticktockclockwork!
> 
> Also forgive me for the rambling Bitty. I was projecting. I ramble and stumble over words when I'm nervous too. Whoops!


End file.
